Record Wind Power Generated From ScottishPower Renewables Windfarms

Bellshill, Scotland | February 4, 2013

Figures from ScottishPower Renewables between Friday 25th January and Thursday 31st January have shown record electricity generated from its 28 operational onshore windfarms. In total, more than 135 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity was produced, enough to power the electricity demands of more than 1.6million homes in an average weekly period* – equivalent to 67% of all the households in Scotland**.

ScottishPower Renewables is one of the largest developers and generators of wind energy in the UK, with a current operational capacity of more than 1,200MW. During this record breaking week, the energy company’s windfarms were averaging around 70% capacity factor and peaking at 85%.

Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “Wind energy continues to make an increasingly important contribution to the UK’s overall electricity needs. In this last week we have seen power generated from wind at record highs, with our own wind power production alone meeting the average electricity demands of approximately 1.6 million homes – equivalent to two-thirds of all the homes in Scotland.

“Of course we recognise that wind power is only part of an overall energy mix, that needs other forms of generation as well, but the importance of wind power as part of that mix is ever increasing. Although wind power production will not always be this high, its value as a sustainable form of electricity generation is undeniable. Wind is a source of power that will never run out, as a fuel source it has no costs, and the electricity created has no carbon emissions.

“We remain committed to developing renewable energy projects, having invested more than £1 billion in the last decade, and we look forward to helping both the UK and Scottish Government’s in achieving their carbon reduction targets in the coming years.“

As well as 28 operational onshore windfarms, ScottishPower Renewables has more than 20 onshore projects in development or construction which at the end of 2013 will result in an installed capacity of 1427MW. As part of the Iberdrola Group, SPR has a pipeline of more than 8GW of offshore windfarm projects across Europe, with the first of its offshore turbines being installed later this year at its West of Duddon Sands Windfarm, located in Morcambe Bay, a joint venture with Danish Utility DONG Energy.

Notes to Editors:

*Based on 135GWh (135,000,000 kWh) and average domestic consumption of 4370 kWh per year (84.04 per week). 135GWh could power the weekly demands of 1,606,377 homes.